POSITION DESCRIPTION
POSITION TITLE: Economic and Community Development Specialist
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Director of State and Federal Resources / ARC Program Manager
SALARY RANGE: $55,000 - $60,000 annual
The Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association (OMEGA) has an immediate opening for an Economic and Community Development Specialist. A bachelor’s degree in planning, public or business administration or related fields and three years of experience in public economic development or city and regional planning is required.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Economic and Community Development Specialist will be responsible for executing critical community engagement, grant-writing, and grant management tasks within OMEGA’s service areas. The Development Specialist will work under the supervision of OMEGA’s Director of State & Federal Resources / ARC Program Manager and closely with the Finance Director and Executive Director of OMEGA. Primary tasks will be divided between Appalachian Community Grant program coordination and Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) / Governors Office of Appalachia (GOA) grant-writing / grant management related tasks. The position is ideal for an early- to-mid-level professional seeking an opportunity to engage in impactful local planning and implementation, grant-management, and economic and community development as they relate to infrastructure and industrial development in communities throughout mid-eastern Ohio.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
The selected candidate will play a critical role in prioritizing and executing two key areas of OMEGA’s workplan in service to its local communities.
1) Appalachian Community Grant Program (ACGP) – OMEGA served as a lead applicant for the $500 million ACGP opportunity, being successfully awarded nearly $32 million for seven projects. Those project awards are being managed internally. Responsibilities specific to the Appalachian Community Grant Program (ACGP) will include: the tracking of engineering and construction contracts and invoices; completing record keeping as per state and federal program guidelines; completion of supporting documents toward administrative funds for state reporting; preparing monthly reports/supporting documents for state submission; assisting with reimbursement requests/supporting documents for state drawdowns; and organizing community reimbursement requests for payment processing. Additionally, this role will support the non-funded and partially funded ACGP proposals and their participation with the state-procured consultancy, Ohio GuideHouse, including preparing case narratives and the project leads for pitch/presentations to other potential funders.
2) ARC / GOA Program Management – OMEGA administers the annual ARC/GOA Area Development Program and competitive ARC grants, including POWER, INSPIRE, READY LDD, and ARISE. The Development Specialist will assist OMEGA staff with the preparation of ARC and GOA grant applications in Salesforce and help administer grants via administration agreements with ARC/GOA grantees. In addition, the Development Specialist will assist with preparing competitive ARC grant applications and administration of competitive ARC grants.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPOINTMENT
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
A high degree of competency in local community engagement, with a proven ability to guide local planning and development officials through successful infrastructure and/or workforce development grant applications is critical. The ideal candidate will convey strong interpersonal and writing skills, a superior ability to organize complex processes such as grant-writing, and an overall attention to detail and time management to aid in OMEGA’s reporting to the federal government.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Candidates must hold a Bachelor of Arts or Sciences degree from an accredited college or university in the fields of political science, public administration, economics, city planning, business administration, or a similar field. Candidates should have a minimum of three years of experience in the economic development and/or city and regional planning fields, as well as in federal and state grant writing. Appalachian community and/or regional Appalachian experience is preferred, along with a comprehensive understanding and appreciation for the demographics of OMEGA’s Appalachian region.
Ability to lead and facilitate community and economic planning activities and strong communication skills (verbal and written) are required. Evening availability and regional travel are required. This is a full-time, 40-hour per week position, and salary is based upon education and experience. It is a hybrid/remote role with an office at OMEGA’s Cambridge, OH based office.
Please submit a cover letter, resume/CV, and contact information for at least three relevant professional references by December 9, 2024, to Executive Director, Dr. Vicki King-Maple, VMaple@omegadistrict.org
OMEGA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin (ancestry), disability, genetic information, age (40 years or older), sexual orientation, or military status (past, present, or future.